Steam-pipe thimble.



j PATENTBD MAR. 1s, 1906. G. MEHRING. STEAM PIPE THIMBLE.

APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 29, 1904.

.n setforth and morev 'in the appendedclaims.

l In the'drawi 1:igsFigure` I isa vertical' sec.n

y, 2e tionv of my 4improved pipe-thimble, showing.

PATENT OFFICE.

' UNITED STATES' Speeification of. Letters Patent.

rfateneed Maren 1e,y 1906.

To. 1f/ZZ whom t may concern.-

f ff Be it known that I, GEORGE MEHRING, a

citizen of the UnitedStates, andi a resident of Chicago, in the county oGook and State of Illinois, have invented certainl n ew'andj usefull Improvements in Steam-Pipe Thimbles; and4 y I do herebydeclare that the-following isa; full,

v clear, and exact description thereof., reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference 'marked thereon, which form a part ofthis speciiication.

This invention relates to improvements in pipe-thimbles for insulated'v steam-pipes .for inclosing that portion. of va pipe which ex"-` tends throughy a wall4 erl ceiling; and' the invention consists in the mattershereinafter particularly pointed; out

. the manner ofiittin the same in awall; andl cation of thethimble fitted to anv opening y a vertical wall'.

vss

Y roundsv or invests the pipe, whereby saidl inf.

of' fitting the pipeV t erein. Fig. 2" isA anaemthilmble shown in. Fig. l. Fig.. 3 is a bottom plan view `oi. the lower sectionrof the'thim-ble shown inFig'. 2. Fig. L illustratesia. modiii.h

`5. showsa stillaf further modiiicationfof the thimble. f

A thimble Inadein accordance with my iny vention embraces'ingeneral, terms -a suite able tube adapted tobetted; an openin in a wall through which the. pipeextends. an

made in some'instances ot two tube-seetions, which have telescopic connection. The thimble is provided with inwardly-dif rected flanges, at least one ot which islocated within the tube, which ftclosely about the pipe and hold? the pipe centrally in the tube. Such tube is made suiicien-tly large at .its endf to receive `the insulating layer whichy sursulating layer may move freely into. and out.

,I with anl opening through.v which extends. al

.of the space surround-ing the pipe 'without -45 I changing-its relation-to-.thepipe or becoming j ammed'. i f

As shown in Figs L and 2 ofy the drawings, A designates aj fragment oiaceiling provided steam o r other pipe Said pipe is surrounded by or invested with aninsula-tingcovering B', made of asbestos or like material. Thethimble showny in said? Figs. L and 2 comprises two tubularsectionsGG/f, made,

preferably, ofsheet metal. and whichl are tted intoy said opening'. The tubular section `sizeas'tereceive the section C. The section 'C is openv at both.- ends and is made of such C isA provided. at its outer end with a castmetal; ring (3.2, which surrounds said section and 1s fixed. rigidly thereto. Said: ringy is provided with, a iiange c', which extends radially outwardly beyond the-ringl and iits the wall Aaround the opening therein, and is 'prO- vided: also with an annularange c', that extends radially inwardly beyond the wall of ,thetubeandfisadapted to closely iit the pipe yBi in; its uncovered part.

saidgsectionC isfcontractedf toform a iiange c2, the openingin which is madeof the same size as the opening in the flange c". The openings in the flanges c? c2 constitute guides whichV hold the pipe B' improper alinement and centrally in the thin-Ible. The outer end of-thesection- C projects adistance from the Wall, A, andi4 said'y extension is surrounded bv ,a flanged ornamentali collar D, which iits against the adjacent surface of the wallnor larged view ci. thel two parts constitutllgrthe The inner end of ceiling around the opening therein. Said dricwall of the collar and imlpinges against the outer cylindric surface of t which t e outermost margin of said collar bears. Said; collar Dis made of two parts in order to facilitate the fitting. of tne same lon the section C, one .part being provided at its ends with `tongues d', whichv interlock with grooves in the corres onding ends. of the other part,as indicate #in Fig. 3; scopic construction- .of the thimble enables the same to be readily adjusted to walls of varying thickness.

j 4The outer end of the section C beyond the iiange cz'iof the section C is made of sufficient .internal diameterl to receive the insulating y layer B ofthe pipeB. The provision ofthe space thus formed infthe end of the section C to receive `said insulating layer, B permits endwise movement of said insulating layer with the pipe duringexpansion and contraction of'` said pipe-without tendency of' the inf sul-'ation shifting relatively to -the-pipe or being crushed.` by reason of. its being' thrust againstthef'ace of thewall around the opentherein oracollar surrounding the pipe at they en d ofsaid opening. Itis well known e tubular sec. ti'onsC'. Preferably theouter end of the tubular section is. provided with a rolled rim c3, affordin van annular shoulder or stop against The tele- IOO I I O thatthe steam fpipes .comprising parts of I -heating systems of' tall buildings expand and' contract through comparatively wide ranges during the use thereof, and it is desirable that provision be made to prevent such endwise shifting of the pipes from destroying or marring the joints between the pipes and the walls through which they extend. Such movement of the pipes, together withv the insulating layers investing the same, is permitted by the construction hereinshown without injury to the insulation or affecting the relation of the insulation to the pipes. Heretofore it has been a common practice to employ thimbles of this character of a diameter but slightly greater than the pipes, and to fit the ends of the insulating layers in abutting relation to the walls or parts surrounding the pipes at the ends of the openings therein. In such construction in the event of substantial expansion of the pipes the said insulating layers, not being capable of movement relatively to the walls, tend to slip or shift on the pipes and to bulge outwardly by reason of the pressure due to such movement,

and thereby injure and mar the appearance oftheA joints between the pipes and walls.

The construction shown in Fig. l is adapted more especially for use in connection with steam pipes, which are anchored at their lower ends and which shift upwardly during expansion thereof. In case the pipes be so anchored that they shift downwardly during expansion the position of the thimble is reversed-that is to say, the larger end of the thimble is directed upwardly to receive the insulating layer and to permit it to shift downwardly thereinto during expansion of the pipes. The upper end of the thimble (shown in Fig. 1) or the lower end of a thimble associated with a'downwardly-expanding pipe need not necessarily be made to receive the insulating-covering, inasmuch as there is no tendency of such covering becoming jammed during expansion and contraction of the pipe.

In Fig. 4 is shown a form of thimble which receives at both ends thereof the insulatingcovering of the pipe. Said thimble is shown in connection with a horizontal pipe extending through an opening in a vertical wall E, though this form of thimble may be employed in a horizontal wall, if desired. The thimble consists of two telescopic sections F F', the section F corresponding to the section C, before described, and the section F corresponding generally to the section C. F2 designates a ring at the outer end of the section F', and said ring is provided with a iiange f, that fits against the wall around the opening therein. The ring is made large enough to receive the insulating-covering of the pipe. The opposite end of the other section F extends beyond the wall, as herein shown, and is provided with an ornamental iianged collar G, corresponding in function and appearance to thecollar D, before described. Said outer end of the section F is made of a diameter to receive the insulating layer B, as does the like section'C. (Shown in Fig. l.) The section F is contracted at its inner end to form an inwardly-extending iiangej", corresponding to the iiange c2 of the section C of the previously-described construction. In order to provide an additional guidefor the pipe within the thimble, (and which corresponds in function to the iiange c of the previouslydescribed construction,) a short tube F" is fixed within the smaller section F and is contracted at one end to form a iiangefz, the opening of which is of the same diameter as the opening in the iiange.

rated guides, which hold the pipe centrally within the thimble and permit the endwisc movement of the pipe therein without any tendency of derangement of the pipe in the thimble.

Instead of the telescopic construction of the thimble shown in the two forms described I may employ a thimble made of a single inextensible tube, such as is shown in Fig. 5. The thimble shown in said Fig. 5 consists of a tube I-I, which is open at both ends and is provided at one end with a ring H, like the ring C2 of the construction shown in Figs. l and 2, which fits over one end of the pipe and is provided with a iiange L, that iits flat against the Said flangesf/ f2, therefore, constitute longitudinally-sepawallI around the opening, and with a flange function of the collars D and G of the pre-f.l viously described constructions. Fixed within the tube adjacent to the collar end is a short tube or shell J, which is contracted at its lower end to constitute a guide-flange j, through which the pipe B is adapted to extend. The said tube II is made sufficiently large at its end surrounded by the collar I to receive the insulating-covering of the pipe B in the same manner as shown at the lower end of the thimble in Fig. l.

I claim asmy inventionl. A thimble for insulated pipes comprising a tube open at both ends, the opening at one end thereof being made of the full diameter of the tube, the opening at the other end being made of smaller diameter, and a flange located within and between the ends of the tube and formed with an opening in line with and of the same diameter as the smaller end opening of the tube.

2. A thimble for insulating-pipes comprising a two-part tube, one part of which is made shorter than and fits within the other,

the inclosed or shorter part being turned ini TOO ' flange Which limits its entrance in the inclosthe shorter or inclosed part being flanged inmade shorter than and fits Within the other,

Wardly at both ends to form alined openings of less diameter than the end opening of the inclosing tube. l

4. A thimble for insulated pipes comprising a two-part tube, one part of which is made shorter than and its Within the other, the shorter or inclosed part being flanged in- Wardly at both ends to form alined openings of less diameter than the end opening of the inclosing tube, and said inclosed part being also provided at its outer en'd with a radial ing part.

5. The combination with a pipe provided With an insulating-covering7 of a thimble through Which the pipe extends comprising a tube made of sufficient diameter at one end to receive said insulating-covering and a flange between the ends of the tube having an opening Within which the uncovered part of the pipe closely fits.

6. The combination With a pi e provided With an insulating-covering, ofp a thimble through Which the pipe extends comprising a two-part tube, one part of which is made shorter than and fits Within the other, the outer or inclosing part of said tube being made of a diameter to receive the insulatingcover of the ipe, and the shorter or inclosed part thereoiP being langed to provide an opening Which closely fits the uncovered part of the pipe.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I aEX my signature, in presence of tWo Witnesses, this 14th day ofJune,

GEORGE MEHRING. Witnesses:

WILLIAM L. HALL, GERTRUDE BRYoE. 

